{"id":31426,"date":"2023-05-03T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T08:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=31426"},"modified":"2023-05-03T09:03:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T08:03:50","slug":"ev-charging-infrastructure-the-landscape-challenges-and-future-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/ev-charging-infrastructure-the-landscape-challenges-and-future-outlook\/31426\/","title":{"rendered":"EV Charging Infrastructure – The landscape, challenges and future outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"
To assess the EV charging infrastructure<\/a> landscape, it is important to understand that EV charging differs from the refuelling of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. All conventional fuel pumps are essentially the same, whereas a \u2018chargepoint\u2019 can mean a discreet 7kW socket on a wall at someone\u2019s home or work, right up to an expensive 350kW DC charger in a motorway service area.<\/p>\n Pod Point uses the concept of the charging ecosystem to show where we predict energy will flow into EVs in a mature charging infrastructure market.<\/p>\n Recognising that cars spend >95% of their life parked and that replicating petrol-style recharging speeds is unrealistic, Pod Point focuses on \u2018putting a Pod Point everywhere you park\u2019, with a smaller provision of high-powered charging for infrequent en-route charging. We predict up to 90% of recharging will happen where 0% of refuelling happens today – at homes and at work. The public network is still essential but offers a minority of charging, unlike the 100% refuelling it does for ICE vehicles.<\/p>\n Looking at different segments of the EV charging ecosystem, we see a diverse commercial landscape. Home charging is a vibrant, functional market, with multiple providers competing healthily. Likewise, the work and destination markets are working well, albeit not yet quite as fast-paced as the home market. While huge investment is pouring in, the en route network is arguably a little constrained, especially for non-Tesla drivers and particularly in motorway service areas. This is largely due to a lack of competition that has kept would-be providers out of these key locations, whilst requirements for huge grid connections have motivated the UK Government to reserve almost \u00a31bn for grid upgrades. However, any issues with the provision will be resolved in due course.<\/p>\n One of the first challenges the industry faces is overcoming a significant misconception among the ICE driving public, who instinctively imagine they will spend much of their EV life driving to high-powered charging hubs, much as they do to petrol stations today and are thus very anxious about charge time. The industry must overcome this fear by offering rapid charging for the handful of times it is needed, recognising that it will never match refuelling times, and emphasising that this doesn\u2019t matter – your car usually charges where it is parked. We believe much of the recent press furore around charging is due to a genuine lack of understanding.<\/p>\n As such, we must emphasise that faster isn\u2019t always better, but it is more expensive. The costs of huge grid connections and expensive switch gear must be recouped in per kWh pricing. To this end, I have pretentiously coined \u201cThe McKemey Rapid Charge Paradox\u201d – the faster the charger, the longer you spend waiting<\/em>. DC chargers detain you in the vicinity of your charging car, ready to move it, whilst all other charging allows you to get on with your life – sleeping, working, shopping, exercising etc. – returning to your car when convenient.<\/p>\n Over the last year or so, the already significant lead times on delivering new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have often extended to over a year. This is clear evidence that most OEMs cannot supply BEVs to meet current demand, representing the most significant current constraint on progress.<\/p>\n Furthermore, a far wider choice of vehicles for customers in the ICE market remains, which must change to ensure greater uptake. Most established OEMs are yet to wholly commit to electrification, understandably reluctant to write off large investments in legacy ICE manufacture, even though the ICE and hybrid cars produced are self-evidently inferior products to BEVs. Indeed, leaving a handbrake engaged in a BEV vehicle might neatly emulate the sluggish performance, inefficiency and propensity for components to wear out that define driving combustive vehicles.<\/p>\nThe commercial landscape of EV charging<\/h3>\n
Initial misconceptions about charging<\/h3>\n
Current lack of vehicle supply<\/h3>\n